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Welcome to our blog - the place to be for news on all things YMT! We will be sharing interviews, reviews from our team of young critics around the UK, tips and advice, special offers, competitions and promotions and a monthly overview of the ‘world of theatre’ by our guest blogger, Cyril (the office Squirrel). This is a space for YMTers and Alumni to share stories, so if you have something you want to say, please get in touch by emailing: mail@ymtuk.org. We will also be giving away special YMT merchandise (hoodies, badges, bags and t-shirts) for the best comments – so get involved!

16/10/13

Halloween is here! Bored of the black cat outfit? Fed up of wearing last year’s ghost get-up?

We don’t know about you but everyone at YMT loves to get into the spirit by dressing up in our creepiest and/or most original Halloween attire! So to get you in the mood and sticking to what we know best, we’ve thought up some ideas based on musical theatre baddies!

Take a look at the top 10 best ideas for theatre baddies here…

1) The Woman in Black – The Woman in Black

A ghost from a West End play that only uses 2 characters throughout, The Woman In Black sure is a creepy character. Based on the horror novella by Susan Hill the story follows a lawyer Arthur Kipps who sees the eerie figure of a woman in black when he attends a funeral, things quickly spiral out of control! No prizes for guessing what colour to wear for this character!

2) The Wicked Witch of the West - The Wizard of Oz

It’s true, a witch is one of the most obvious choices for a Halloween costume, but you’ve got to have an exception for this evil lady. She controls a pack of wolves and a swarm of bees, tries to kill Dorothy and ultimately take over the land of Oz. Depicted as having green skin in both the classic 1939 movie depiction of the original book by L Frank Baum and in the musical adaptation Wicked it’s time to get the green face paint out!

3) Count Dracula - Dracula

If you fancy getting your fangs out, you’ve got to get inspired by The Count who is the archetypal vampire. This character is centuries old and from Transylvania – he’s not just a vampire, he’s a sorcerer as well and unlike lots of depictions of Vampires is actually quite charming. Get practicing those accents and some charisma to go with the cape!

4) Scar - The Lion King

An African lion and the lead antagonist in The Lion King, Scar provides the perfect baddy for those of you just desperate to dress like an animal! The musical version is based on the 1994 film and both see Scar plotting to seize the throne and even kill Simba’s father Mufasa, now if that’s not evil, then I don’t know what is…

5) Captain Hook - Peter Pan

The Captain of the Jolly Roger and long time enemy of Peter Pan, Hook has one obvious costume feature that can’t fail to impress – the iron hook replacing the hand that Peter Pan cut off! Who wouldn’t be freaked out by shaking that hand on dark night?

6) The Evil Queen - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

This baddie is completely obsessed with being the most beautiful in the land, so, a modern day Jordan perhaps? If acting like a (very) old school diva takes your fancy, you’ll need a Magic Mirror to look into at regular intervals, an extravagant cape and a crown.

7) Iago - Othello

The most evil character in Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago hates the main character and devises a plot to destroy him by leading him to believe his wife is having an affair with his lieutenant. And if that’s not bad enough, what’s most sneaky about Iago is that Othello puts a lot of trust in him, in fact, the saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” comes to mind! Don some Shakespearian tights and put your back stabbing head on for this character!

8) Lady Macbeth – Macbeth

Another Shakespearian character, Lady Macbeth is the most evil of Shakespeare’s female personalities and even persuades her husband to commit regicide in order to become Queen of Scotland. Think lots of long plaited hair (customize with a wig if you need to) and drape yourself with fabric - 16th century style!

9) Fagin - Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens' character Fagin is the leader of a group of children who he encourages to pickpocket, smoke and drink and is described as “grotesque” to look at. So for those of you that really want to go to town with the creepy Halloween thing, this is your guy!

10) Monsieur Thénardier - Les Misérables

And last but by no means least, Monsieur Thénardier, a baddie from the longest-running musical in the West End: Les Misérables. Based on the character from Victor Hugo’s novel, Thénardier is a cruel, money-obsessed man who, with his wife (potential for a double act costume here..!) cheat their customers at the inn, beg and steal.